Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Kalimba Warm-up Routines
Why a Warm-up Routine?

I had a friend who told me that every time he picks up his flute, he always starts on the same note. He assumed everyone was like that. Well, some people aren't. But maybe we should be.

There is something to be said for having a systematic warm-up routine. Have you ever picked up someone else's kalimba? It could be the exact same model as your favorite kalimba, but it will just be a bit different. Maybe one of the tines has a bit of a burr on it - or one tine sticks up a bit. Or one tine extends further out than another. Or it is heavier. Or the box wood is a slightly different color. All of these little things can throw you off. If you want to play your best, you want your kalimba to be just like it always is when you play it.

But another thing to think about is YOU. You want YOURSELF to be just like you always are when you play kalimba. OK, that is impossible. You will always be in a different mental or emotional state or physical state. But there are things you can do to help make you more similar to the YOU who played kalimba yesterday and the day before.

You need to develop your own warm-up routine, and when you have it down, and you repeat it each day, you will be more nearly the same you each time you finish the warm-up routine and start playing kalimba.